a series of forevers
by HookedonDarvey
Summary: A series of domestic Darvey beginning with the morning after. Post 8.16
1. Chapter 1 - The Morning After

The moment his eyes flutter open they catch upon the morning sun beaming through the white, creamy netted curtains of Donna's chic yet elegant apartment and he admires the way it blankets her pale, smooth skin leaving it emanating an incandescent, godlike radiance. Despite only having been here twice - _the other time_ and now - he realises this is something he'll never grow tired of.

His eyes absentmindedly trace the freckle-covered skin at her shoulder and he's got the sudden urge to reach out and touch her to make sure this is real - that _she is real _and here with_ him _\- but her face is masked with a tranquility and peacefulness that he hasn't seen for a while and as she breathes softly against his neck he decides to let her sleep.

There's a tingling numbness travelling down his arm from his left shoulder and his slow attempt to move is unsuccessful but the frown on his face falls as quickly as it appears when he realises the reason. Her head is resting on his shoulder with his arm naturally placed around her shoulders and coming to rest on the soft curve of her small waist. Her left hand remains intertwined - even through sleep - with his right hand and is placed on his chest directly above the soft, rhythmic beat of his heart. Their legs wrapped around each other in ways where one wouldn't be able to distinguish where one of them ended and the other began.

Somewhere along the lines of watching her sleep he comes to the welcome realisation that whilst for the past thirteen years he's always considered the firm to be someplace he's belonged, with her safely enveloped in his arms, he's finally _home_.

His first thought in the morning has always been of the firm but despite its rocky, uncertain state after Hardman's unwelcome resurfacing he hasn't once thought of it and he discovers he couldn't find an ounce of care. All he knows is that he never wants to leave the nest of solace, comfort and warmth he finds just simply being in her presence and he places a soft yet lingering kiss against her temple.

He notices she's beginning to awaken before she even stirs by the way her breathing shifts unevenly against his skin and his soft grip on her waist tightens slightly as he pulls her flush against him.

He can barely decipher her mumbled "hey" as she buries herself in the gap between his shoulder and his arm in an attempt to wane off the blazing intensity of the sun against her face, and he lets out a carefree chuckle before returning her greeting with a "good morning" of his own coupled with another gentle, chaste kiss against her forehead.

Harvey effortlessly turns onto his side whilst making no effort to entangle himself from her. There is a smile that is plastered threefold on his face and the way his eyes never once leaves hers warms the deepest corners of her heart. The way her skins flusters as he tucks the loose auburn curl behind her ear and traces the back of his hand down her jaw makes her delirious and leaves her effectively wanting more.

She's never seen this side of him and her mind instantly flashes back in a sleep induced effort to understand how ended up here, together. Suddenly, she's grabbing at the bedsheets and gripping them at chest level as she sits up and her face falls, no longer etched with the serene smile from mere moments ago. Her reaction surprises him and that's when Harvey sits up too, leaning against the headboard as he, on auto, softly clasps her hand as a source of comfort. She's scared and he's working his mind with a newfound curiosity as to why.

"Hey, you okay?", Harvey asks as he notices her face fall. There is a tear threatening to spill at the corner of her eye and before it can fall Harvey reaches up cup her cheek and brushes her flushed cheek with the soft pad of his thumb.

"Donna?", he breathes out softly but questioningly as his voice breaks at the fact that she's crying and thats amongst the few things that his heart painfully cannot take. His protectiveness towards Donna is always quick to kick in when she's hurt and his mind flashes to Stephen Huntley and he swears he can almost feel the pulsing sting of the broken lip from the punch he'd thrown back as retaliation. But this time he finds that he cannot for the sake of him discern what could be wrong and his face contorts into a look of concern.

"Im sorry Harvey, I'm so sorry". He's confused and he hopes his face is silently pleading with her to offer an explanation as to why she's apologising when he woke up this morning feeling as if he was drowning in a constant state of pure and unadulterated bliss.

"You almost lost _everything_ because of me and I-", before she can even formulate her next words, his lips descend upon hers and her tongue slides against his in a heavenly mesh of thirteen years of blanketed feelings of love, desire and affection.

He lets out a breathy "_you're everything_ Donna, you always have been and you always will be" as his lips part hers. He keeps their foreheads connected in an attempt to keep her close to him as his hand runs through her soft red tresses and settles at the base of her neck.

"If anyone should be sorry it should be me for taking so goddamn long to see what everyone else has always seen. Heck we could have been married with a house in the Hamptons and two strawberry blonde children with a beautiful mix of your grace, warmth and compassion and just enough of me to drive you crazy." And with that she's stumped. She could swear she's forgotten how to breathe because when she glances up to look at him she's met with nothing but the confidence thats so uniquely his and not a single trace of doubt.

Donna chokes back a sob and lets out a chuckles as her face breaks out into a smile. This is how he loves her; relaxed, free and _happy. _Her hand reaches up to cup his distinct jaw and her thumb brushes against his light stubble as it lingers there and she lifts her lips to meet his.

"I'm in love with you Donna." His voice is quiet but the words make their mark and she closes her eyes, letting the surreality of the words wash over her. She kisses him softly again.

"I love you Harvey" she whispers against his lips and he responds by drawing her back against his chest as he settles back down against the pillows. They share a knowing look and no other words are needed.

He's all in and so is she.

Forever was inevitable.


	2. Chapter 2 - Nightly Routines

Harvey lets out a heavy huff of frustration as he unlocks the front door and goes to throw his keys and wallet on the wooden textured table beside the door. Upon second thought, after glancing at his watch and having the late hour of the dreary, stormy night glare back up at him he places his items with extra care to avoid making any obscene amount of noise. His eyes scan the living room and finds that it's empty, the only indication that his two favourite redheads had been there is _Fudge, _the brown, miniature Harvard sweatshirt cladded stuffed bear that _Uncle_ Mike had gifted her when she was born. The subtle attempt to mock Harvey did not exceed him but he'd chosen to ignore it and refrained from giving the puppy the satisfaction, much to his disappointment. He'd just have to try harder.

He wonders if they've gone to sleep and finds that he wouldn't be surprised considering the time and the frustration gnaws away at him again. Although he loves his job, tucking his daughter in to sleep makes the occasional unpleasant, long and tiresome days at the office worthwhile. He curses the indecisiveness of his client under his breath as he realises he might have missed the chance tonight.

He places his suit jacket against the back of the couch, gets himself a glass of water, picks up the bear and decides on going upstairs. If he couldn't tuck his daughter into bed tonight he'd at least kiss her goodnight and tuck _Fudge_ in beside her. If someone had told him that one day this would be his life and he'd be tucking stuffed bears into bed he'd have laughed in their face, probably even fired them at the blatant absurdity of the statement. Mike would mock him and Harvey comes to the realisation that he's gone soft and he grins when he finds that he wouldn't have it any other way. He'd publicly admit how whipped he was then go back to what his life was like before this was even a remote possibility.

Harvey fails to hear the sound of footsteps descend down the stairs and is pleasantly surprised when the excited shriek of his little girl pierces through the sound of the heavy rainfall outside the window and the otherwise silence in the living room.

"Dada!", Mia screeches whilst removing her small arms from around Donna's neck and as she gently places her down at the foot of the doorway she watches in awe of the sight in front of her as she runs gleefully towards her father.

'Hey sweetheart'. He's quick on his feet as he turns around and glimpses at the immensely wide smile on Mia's face as she runs towards him with her arms outstretched. He lowers himself on his hunches as he lifts her effortlessly into his arms with a playful exaggeration.

'Isn't it way past your bedtime?', he asks her teasingly as he places a gentle kiss against her pale, freckled cheek.

Mia sighs dramatically and states as if it were obvious, 'I forgot _Fudge_ and didn't want him to get cold and scared down here by himself.'

'See thats funny, I too didn't want him to be scared either because of the storm outside and was just about to come up and tuck him beside you.' Harvey quipped back to her humorously. She giggles and then lets out a tired sigh as she buries her head inside the crook of his neck. Harvey, in an attempt to lull her to sleep, runs his flattened palm in gentle soothing circles on her pyjama clad back.

He eyes his wife leaning against the doorway gazing up at him with a loving look in her eye and she smiles. Harvey tilts his head at her apologetically and he walks towards her and she nods her head in understanding - she works at the same firm and knows the stressful demands and she's surprised he's not home later more often. Harvey places the palm of his unoccupied hand across the small of Donna's back as he guides her towards the stairs before he leans in and places a chaste kiss against her lips.

Mia's breath hits the back of his neck in an evened rhythm and he's careful not to jostle her as he leans forward to lay her in her bed under her spring flower patterned bed covers. Just as he thinks she's fallen asleep she, ever the negotiator like her father, beams up at him and demands for him to read her a bedtime story.

Donna bites back a laugh when Harvey nods his head as a signal of his agreement without any hint of hesitation and he looks to meets his wife's amused gaze. "She's got you wrapped around her little finger."

Harvey lets Mia snuggle up under the blankets as she curls up against his side, her head resting against his chest as he wraps his arm securely around her small body. He's done this routine nightly and he's been reading her _The Velveteen Rabbit _for as long as he can remember and she's never once asked for another book and he's never once grown tired of reading it to her.

Usually, she'd fall asleep by the end of the story so he's genuinely surprised to find her awake and gazing up at him with a look on her face that he cannot quite decipher. "Mia? _Hey_, what's wrong?" He asks her softly as his fingers comb through her auburn locks that are so distinctly her mothers.

"I had a bad dream last night and I'm scared to sleep on my own." Her voices goes unnaturally timid as she muffles the words against his chest. Donna sits down at the foot of the bed and when her gaze meets Harvey's she see's the same look of heartache and anguish plastered on his face that she is undoubtably certain is painted across hers.

He wraps her protectively in his embrace and pulls her tighter against him. "It was just a dream baby, you're safe here."

Donna's hand comes to rest upon Mia's leg and her thumb brushes against her pyjama covered skin as a source of comfort. "You know what your grandad always told me?"

"Grandpa Jim?" Mia lifts her head from under the warmth and shelter she'd sought and found inside Harveys arms and peers towards Donna with a teary eyed look of interest. Donna reaches out to brush away the silent tear away with the soft pad of her thumb.

Her hand remains cupping her cheek. "To always remember that the nightmares can't hurt you if you fight against the monsters. Fight them with your happy memories; think of the things that make you laugh, think of me and Dada because for as long as we are here we'll never let anything hurt you." Mia sniffles and leans over towards Donna and she envelops her arms around her, placing a kiss against her hair. Harvey can't take his gaze off of her and although this is not a new realisation, he's suddenly overcome by the sheer fact that this is his reality. His affection for her grows threefold and overwhelms him and he swears that he feels himself fall head over heels in love with her all over again.

"Mama, can I sleep with you and Dada tonight?" Mia asks as her voice breaks through the silence to which Donna simply replies with an irrefutable nod of her hand and a reassuring smile as she gently hoists her up against her hip. Harvey raises himself from Mia's bed and guides his family back into the warm confines of their bed.

The rest of the night is full of a calming tranquility despite the treacherous storm battering the glass windows of the bedroom that is almost shrouded in complete darkness. Mia lays nestled in the casket of warmth between both adults as Harvey's arm protectively lies draped over them, coming to rest at the soft curve of Donna's waist.

He feels a slight ticklish sensation that wont seem to go away on his right arm before he even opens his eyes and he scrunches his eyes in a vain attempt for whatever it is to understand that he'd like for it to stop. When it doesn't, he peers through a drowsy eyelid to find Mia poking his arm with _Fudge_ and her staring up at him with a faux disappointment that screams _what took you so long_. He's going to kill Mike the next time he sees him.

Yawning and still heavy-eyed he manages to give her a genuine lopsided smile before asking her if she'd slept better to which she nods enthusiastically. He chuckles feebly when he notices that Donna is still sound asleep. "What do you say we make mommy pancakes?" He speaks in a hushed tone and she's bobbing her head frantically with an unwavering determination. She lets out a squeal and giggles when he, with a renewed energy, lifts her energetically into his arms and noiselessly makes his way out the bedroom.

The sweet, lingering hint of vanilla and buttermilk wafting through the bedroom is what rouses her from her slumber and she rubs at her groggy eyes. Wearing a weary grin, she softly wanders out of the bedroom and makes her way to the kitchen. Although she's met with this sight more mornings than not, she's still nonetheless thrown off balance and left breathless. He's sitting at the marble plated kitchen counter and Mia's across from him atop the counter whisking - more like _attacking_ \- the pancake batter. She laughs inwardly knowing Harvey would never tell his little girl that.

"Breakfast _was_ going to be served in the bedroom" Harvey's voice, dripping with humour, breaks through her trance and she sways towards him.

Donna, unable to resist the tease, silently jabs back. "From the looks of it breakfast won't even be served in the kitchen because all I see is mess."

She walks across Harvey to the edge of the counter, meekly attempting to flattens Mia's ruffled hair and places a gentle kiss against her head. She whispers a 'good morning baby' in her ear and makes her way back to her husband.

Harvey throws her a playful "do I get one of those?" She eyes him with an unimpressed look.

"Well that depends on how quickly _you_ clean this mess."

"_I'm_ not the one who made it", he smirks as he makes a sideways glance towards Mia and she's quick to the defence - she's so much a carbon copy of Harvey it scares her.

"_Dada_ told me I could _and_ he didn't tell me to stop - he's been watching me this whole time!" Harvey realises he's been caught out and sighs in defeat. Donna gives him a victorious look and he effectively wipes it off by planting a soft kiss against her lips.

They've ruined him he decides. He sees the headline glaring at the forefront of his mind '_New York City's best closer destroyed by a mere three year old_' and he shakes his head in amusement.

But he wants exactly _this _and there is no other way he'd have it.


End file.
